Rain Brought by Hone Cancels Hawaii's Wildfire Warnings

Hurricane Hone passed just south of Hawaii on Sunday, dumping enough rain for the National Weather Service to call off its red flag warnings that strong winds could lead to wildfires on the drier sides of islands in the archipelago. Hone had top winds of 85mph Sunday morning as it moved west, centered about 45 miles off the southernmost point of the Big Island, reported Jon Jelsema, a senior forecaster at the Central Pacific Hurricane Center in Honolulu. He said tropical storm force winds were blowing across the island's southeast-facing slopes, carrying a foot or more of rain, per the AP.

"As the rain gets pushed up the mountain terrain it wrings it out, kind of like wringing out a wet towel," Jelsema said Sunday. "It's been really soaking those areas, there's been flooding of roads." Hurricane Gilma, meanwhile, increased to a Category 4 hurricane Saturday night, but it was still far east of Hawaii and forecast to weaken into a depression before it reaches the islands. Some Big Island beach parks were closed due to dangerously high surf, and officials opened shelters as a precaution, Big Island Mayor Mitch Roth said.

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